[Standardized sputum collection increases sputum sample collection rate for novel coronavirus nucleic acid detection]

To evaluate the effect of standardized health education on the sputum specimen collection rate for nucleic acid detection of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Two hundred and twenty-seven patients in fever clinics and isolation wards of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University and 307 migrant workers returning to 5 enterprises in Shanghai from February 3 to March 14, 2020 were enrolled in the study. Through clarifying the procedures of collecting sputum specimens, making graphic/video health education materials, standardizing the contents and methods of health education, we conducted education to the subjects. The subject expectorated spontaneously or with medical assistance. For patients, the number of sampling attempts and sputum acquisition times were documented before and after the implementation of the standardized expectoration method; for the returning migrant employees in the enterprises, only the number of collected samples after the implementation of the standardized expectoration method were recorded.

A total of 378 sputum samples were collected from 227 patients. The sputum sampling rates before and after the implementation of health education were 40.9%and 58.4%, respectively (P<0.01). A total of 304 sputum samples were obtained from 307 enterprise returnees, with a sample collection rate of 99.0%.

The education for standardized sputum sample collection method can effectively increase the sputum collection rate.